29 CFR 1926.52: Occupational noise exposure
The official text is on the eCFR. Below: how the section is organized, the paragraphs our CHST questions are built on, and free questions to try.
Quoted from the eCFR, current as of 2026-10-14; last amended 2016-09-01.
How 29 CFR 1926.52 is organized
- (a)1 paragraph
- (b)1 paragraph
- (c)1 paragraph
- (d)27 paragraphs
- (e)1 paragraph
Paragraphs our practice questions cite most
Counted across the 5 live PassCited questions on this section: our bank, not the real exam.
“(b) When employees are subjected to sound levels exceeding those listed in Table D-2 of this section, feasible administrative or engineering controls shall be utilized. If such controls fail to reduce sound levels within the levels of the table, personal protective equipment as required in subpart E, shall be provided and used to reduce sound levels within the levels of the table.”
“(c) If the variations in noise level involve maxima at intervals of 1 second or less, it is to be considered continuous.”
“(ii) Fe = (T1/L1) + (T2/L2) + · · · + (Tn/Ln)”
“(e) Exposure to impulsive or impact noise should not exceed 140 dB peak sound pressure level.”
Free practice questions on 29 CFR 1926.52
Question 1
A worker's day includes several periods of noise at different constant levels. The safety technician computes the equivalent noise exposure factor (Fe) using the sum of T/L for each period and gets Fe = 1.20. How should this result be interpreted?
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Answer: C. The exposure exceeds permissible levels because Fe is greater than unity
OSHA's construction noise rule, 29 CFR 1926.52(d)(2)(ii), adds each period's exposure time divided by its permissible duration: Fe = sum of T/L, with L taken from Table D-2. If Fe exceeds 1, the exposure exceeds permissible levels, so 1.20 is an overexposure. The rule combines the periods rather than judging each alone, and the limit is 1, not 2.
On the job
An EHS manager at a metal fabrication shop totals a grinder operator's shift across three constant noise levels, with each period's actual time divided by the permissible time from Table D-2. The sum comes to just over 1. Because a value above unity means permissible levels are exceeded, the manager treats the exposure as an overexposure and starts controls, even though no single period looked excessive alone.
Study aid, not site-specific safety advice. The official rule controls.
Answer C rests on
29 CFR 1926.52(d)(2)(ii)(opens ecfr.gov in a new tab)“If the value of Fe exceeds unity (1) the exposure exceeds permissible levels.”
Question 2
A sound level meter (A-scale, slow response) shows that employees running a stationary concrete crusher are exposed above the Table D-2 limits. The superintendent proposes to issue earplugs to everyone at once and take no other action. A sound-dampening enclosure for the crusher and a crew rotation schedule are both feasible and inexpensive. Is the superintendent's plan consistent with the standard?
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Answer: A. No, because feasible administrative or engineering controls must be used first, and PPE is required only if those controls fail to bring levels within the table
OSHA's construction noise rule, 29 CFR 1926.52(b), requires feasible administrative or engineering controls, such as the crusher enclosure and crew rotation, when levels exceed Table D-2. Hearing protection is required only if those controls fail. The rule does not let the employer pick hearing protection first, does not accept warning signs in place of controls, and does not require work to stop.
On the job
An EHS manager at a quarry finds that an operator's noise dosimetry readings on a rock drill exceed the Table D-2 limits. Handing out earplugs alone would not meet the rule, so he first evaluates feasible controls: a quieter shielded exhaust and shorter rotating shifts on the drill. Hearing protection is issued only if those controls fail to bring levels within the table.
Study aid, not site-specific safety advice. The official rule controls.
Answer A rests on
29 CFR 1926.52(b)(opens ecfr.gov in a new tab)“When employees are subjected to sound levels exceeding those listed in Table D-2 of this section, feasible administrative or engineering controls shall be utilized. If such controls fail to reduce sound levels within the levels of the table, personal protective equipment as required in subpart E, shall be provided and used to reduce sound levels within the levels of the table.”
Question 3
A crew is breaking a slab with pneumatic hammers. A technician's sound level meter shows the noise peaking about every half second, with lower readings in between. The technician must decide how to evaluate the exposure against the permissible noise limits. What should the technician do?
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Answer: C. Treat the noise as continuous and compare it with the permissible levels for the hours of exposure
OSHA's construction noise rule says noise with maxima at intervals of 1 second or less is considered continuous. Peaks every half second therefore count as continuous noise. Treating it as intermittent, calling it unmeasurable, or using only the impact-noise peak limit all ignore that rule.
Answer C rests on
29 CFR 1926.52(c)(opens ecfr.gov in a new tab)“If the variations in noise level involve maxima at intervals of 1 second or less, it is to be considered continuous.”
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A study aid, not legal advice or an official interpretation. Always check the current eCFR text.